On Thursday March 10, 2011 at approximately 5:00pm the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was advised of a past occurred burglary which had occurred at a residence in the 4000 block of Monsanto Avenue south of Sierra Vista. While beginning the investigation, Deputies made contact with two subjects who were in the area and after questioning them it was determined that they were suspects in the burglary.

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Sheriff’s Deputies went to an address in the 5000 block of Santa Elena which was the residence of one of the suspects, also south of Sierra Vista, and observed stolen property in the front yard. Several Deputies remained on the scene while a search warrant for the property was obtained, and upon initial entry to a storage shed on the property they discovered several items that appeared to be suspicious in nature. The items led Deputies to believe that there was a possibility of a meth lab inside the residence as well as potential explosives.

The Cochise County Bomb Technician responded and confirmed that the items located indicated some type of explosives were being manufactured or had been manufactured at the scene. The Arizona Department of Public Safety Explosive Ordinance Division, along with their HAZMAT Team, and a canine unit from Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms all responded from Tucson. Deputies staged Fry Fire medic units and a command post a short distance from the scene and notified neighbors to the North, South, East and West of the residence that there was a possibility of evacuation to be determined by the Bomb Squad personnel. One family left the area while three others remained until told to do otherwise. Cochise County Road Department personnel were called to the scene to facilitate the road closure and to provide access to any other resources as needed.

Bomb squad personnel located seven pipe bombs which were secured with the use of a robot before being transported to a safe location and detonated.

The canine team from ATF did not locate any indication of a meth lab at the scene. All units from Fry Fire, DPS EOD, DPS HAZMAT, Road Department, and Deputies cleared the scene after the completion of the search warrant at approximately 5:00am.

Two subjects were arrested in this incident and charged with Theft (F) , Criminal Damage (M), Manufacture/Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (F), and Burglary (F).

√ Matthew Aaron Hopkins, 37 of Sierra Vista.

√ Daniel Fraley Buhr, 29, of Hereford

The investigation is being continued by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.